Project Description

RWD was tasked with creating a vibrant, educational, and wholly interactive plaza located within the heart of downtown Olympia. East Bay Public Plaza, situated on a formerly contaminated brownfield site, was designed to be a sustainable urban oasis, providing public visibility and education about reclaimed water as well as the intrinsic value of clean water within our ever-changing local and global community.

The design features a plaza-length interactive stream that utilizes reclaimed water with which the public is invited and encouraged to interact. Other design features include a constructed reclaimed water- filled wetland, colorful water interpretation imbedded within the hardscape, bronze sculptures highlighting native fauna, and a reclaimed methane-heated restroom building that includes a green roof.

The plaza was designed in collaboration with the LOTT Clean Water Alliance as well the three other East Bay Partners: The Port of Olympia, The City of Olympia, and The Hands- on Children’s Museum Because of the wealth of sustainable features included within, the plaza was chosen to be a pilot project for the new Sustainable Sites Initiative program.